News - Harpers Wine & Spirit Trade News

Sake/vodka blend

Published: 23 July, 2008

Cellar Trends is to distribute WOKKA SAKi, an 80:20 blend of British vodka and Japanese sake, and a subtle essence of Asian fruit'.

Cadbury to sell off European drinks arm

Published: 23 July, 2008

Cadbury Schweppes put its European drinks business up
for sale last week.

Casa Silva to Thierry's

Published: 23 July, 2008

Family-owned and run Chilean wine producer Via Casa Silva is to move its Doa Dominga brand to Thierry's.

Carlos Criado-Perez, the former Safeways chief executive officer, along with two other former Safeways executives, will be using the forthcoming Wines of Argentina annual trade tasting (20 September) to unveil their new venture - Las Bodegas, a specialist wine importer and distributor majoring on putting more Argentinian wines on the shelf'.

Braille innovation

Published: 23 July, 2008

A group of producers in Worcester, South Africa, is to put Braille engravings on their wine bottles.

New logo for Waiter's Friend

Published: 23 July, 2008

Wine-accessory and brand-promotion specialists The Waiter's Friend Company has just launched a contemporary new logo.

Villa Maria boss in running for entrepreneur gong

Published: 23 July, 2008

George Fistonich, MD of New Zealand producer Villa Maria, is one of five people shortlisted for Ernst & Young's Entrepreneur of the Year 2005 competition.

Anti-binge-drinking campaign wins award

Published: 23 July, 2008

Sensible-drinking campaigner The Portman Group has won
a Clarion award for its drinkaware.co.uk website.

Connect 4

Published: 23 July, 2008

Soon after Blason de Bourgogne was launched in the UK, export director Marc Vachet tells me in his strong Irish brogue, a number of copycat brands emerged; this was the proof he needed that the Blason brand would succeed.

Suntory and Blavod joint venture

Published: 23 July, 2008

London-based spirits company Blavod Extreme Spirits, most famous for its Blavod Black Vodka brand, is entering into a joint venture with Suntory International, the US subsidiary of Suntory, Asia's biggest beverage producer. The joint venture, to be called Diamante Spirits, will be a 50/50 partnership.

Hailstorms hit Italian vineyards

Published: 23 July, 2008

Weather conditions during the 2005 campaign in Italy have so far been generally positive, but even this year some of the growers in the Langhe are bewailing their fate after having been struck by hail on 20 August.

Sparkling art auction

Published: 23 July, 2008

A collection of posters celebrating Champagne de Castellane is to go on sale at Christie's.

DGB to make Boschendal a South African Penfolds'

Published: 23 July, 2008

Douglas Green Bellingham (DGB) has confirmed the acquisition of the Boschendal Wine business, with the deal going last week (see Harpers, 22 July), and pledged to increase its sales of premium wines in the UK by turning the company into South Africa's answer to Penfolds.

Merrill wins Watson

Published: 23 July, 2008

The 2005 Jimmy Watson Trophy, arguably Australia's most important show award, has been awarded to the 2004 Geoff Merrill Reserve McLaren Vale Shiraz at this year's Melbourne Wine Show.

California wine industry praised for green' policies

Published: 23 July, 2008

The California wine industry has been selected as an outstanding' example of a conservation partnership' by the US government, which invited the California Association of Winegrape Growers (CAWG) to showcase their work during a conference at the White House last week.

Embrace screwcaps, Europe - but get it right

Published: 23 July, 2008

A leading Australian authority on screwcaps has urged European producers to embrace the closure but warned: Producers have to ensure they bottle correctly or it could do real damage to the image of screwcaps.'

Gallic Gallo arrives in the UK

Published: 23 July, 2008

Having taught the French a trick or two about marketing their own wine in the US, Gallo is set to launch its French wine brand, Red Bicyclette, in the UK.